the CLASSroom

Favorite Finds from CHA Winter 2013 - Video

Hi, everybody!

In lieu of a Hello Monday video, we're sharing some of the things we found at the CHA Winter 2013 show!  

CHA is the Craft & Hobby Association Trade Show that occurs every winter, typically down in Anaheim, CA. The show is open to the trade only (retailers, manufacturers, and other industry related businesses) and showcases products and lines that manufacturers are debuting for the new year.

Ellen and I arrived a day ahead of the show, and took classes to learn more about some of the exciting new products being released, such as the new Ranger Distress Paints!  This water based paint is very unique and features some very interesting properties, unlike any other paint we've ever worked with before! Watch the video to see and hear more about these paints and some of the other items we were *monkey clapping* over! 

You can enjoy the video here, or on YouTube!

Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse of some of the coming new products!  Keep your eye on the "Coming soon from CHA Winter 2013" category to see what will be arriving soon!

A Basic Shaker Card by Julie Ebersole

Shaker cards never fail to delight folks! If you've never done one before, I hope you'll be encouraged to try it after today's post because they are so easy!

On this version, I wanted a very filled effect, more than a lot of shaker action, so I put quite a bit of punched card stock confetti in it, but you could add less and get a lot more shaker action; with shaker cards it's all about how much room your filler has to move about.

Years ago, when we made shaker cards (yes, I'm talking more than a decade when I say "years ago", *chuckle*), we basically cut square window shapes--we didn't have our own die cutting machines to make all the fun shaped windows we can today. Unless, of course, you were handy with a craft knife and didn't mind the time and labor it took to cut something more intricate than a square...

Today, we have soooooo many quick and easy options! I wanted to make a shaker card that used the "By The Numbers" die set, as this is a card for my parents who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this month! Like it says on the card, "This is BIG!"

One thing I wanted to mention has to do with die storage; not sure about you, but my die collection is growing by leaps and bounds, especially with all the great low-profile dies! I initially lined some cupboard doors with magnetic sheets, but I quickly outgrew that--didn't have enough cupboard doors to line! ACK!

I also tried keeping the dies in their original cello envie packaging, in a drawer; too cumbersome to take them out, then put away after use.

But, a new solution is the ArtBin Magnetic Die Storage Case! This thing can hold up to 21 magnetic pages/inserts, fully loaded with dies! I love how compact this system is, and how easy it is for me to take my dies with me, if I want! The dies only stick to the white side, but I think that's probably good; otherwise, as you flipped through the pages, dies opposite each other would probably knock each other off, something that would drive me crazy. LOL!

If your die collection is growing like mine, you might like this system as much as I do!

Now, moving on to today's project!

Most low profile dies, like this awesome alphabet by My Favorite Things, come connected by little tines. You can leave them as is, or, if you want to increase the versatility of how you use your dies, you can twist them apart, and trim the little nubs down with wire cutters; if you have any rough edges remaining, it's a good idea to sand them down with a metal file or dremel tool, to avoid snagging on something, or possibly scratching or cutting yourself because those nubs can be quite sharp.

Additionally, sanding them down smooth/flush with the outer edge of the die will give you a much, MUCH nicer finish, if you decide to use the negative cut out piece, as I did for this project.

I positioned and cut my numbers where I wanted my shaker "window" to be.

Applied adhesive around the outer edges of the numbers on the back side of the panel, and mounted a piece of Crystal Clear Plastic overtop, to seal the opening.

Some thin strips of foam tape were then mounted around the perimiter to create a "box"; if you plan to use something finer than punched card stock for your filler--such as glitter, or sand, etc. you will want to make sure there are no gaps between the strips of foam tape or that filler material could "leak out".

I used a variety of different sized circles to create my confetti, and also punched from dyed card stock, because I didn't want any white sides showing, and filled up the little "box" from the back side.

I removed the liner papers from the foam tape and mounted a piece of colored card stock to the back to seal the confetti inside the "box".

I added a separate matt layer before mounting the whole thing to the card base, and then finished off the card with some twine and a fun sentiment from a Hero Arts set!

And, I couldn't resist continuing on the inside with a "Woo Hoo!" because, well, 50 years is somethin' to get excited about, wouldn't you agree?!

Thanks for poppin' over here today! Shake it up, baby!

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Supplies & Materials:

STAMPS: Hero Arts "This Is Big" Cleardesign Set; Hero Arts/Studio Calico "Heyday Sentiments"

INKS: Tangelo Dew Drop by Tsukineko; Soft Pool Shadow by Hero Arts

PAPER: Natural White by Neenah, 25 sheet or ream; Sherbert, Lagoon by Memory Box; Coredinations Adirondack Card Stock

DIES: By the Numbers by My Favorite Things

TOOLS:  Big Shot Personal Die Cutting System

EMBELLISHMENTS: Doodle Twine "Boy"

OTHER: Crystal Clear Plastic; Tombow Stamp Runner; ArtBin Magnetic Storage Tote; ArtBin Magnetic Die Sheets

Serene Snowfall by Julie Ebersole

*click on images to enlarge*

This beautiful Bare Oak Tree by Memory Box is so perfect for a winter-time scene, altho it could also make a great Halloween scene, too! :)  I must admit, I love images that have a lot of flexibility and I even have a spring/summer scene in my head that it would be perfect for!

If you're mailing out a lot of cards this holiday season, you may want to consider a design that is flat, but still has enough sha-zaaaam! to inspire the recipient to oooooh and aaaaaaah, UKWIM?!

This is such an easy way to achieve that and one of my favorite types of holiday designs!

After embossing the tree with Versamark and clear powder, I placed a torn strip of paper to act as a mask--this will help define the horizon line in the scene.  Tearing the edge can give you an artfully rustic effect, but if you wanted a more graphic look, you could cut a smooth edge.

I sponged Aqua dye ink over it all to create the "sky"--love the subtle hue of this particular shade.

After removing the mask, you can see the the snow-covered ground all around the tree.

To add some interest and a punch of color, I laid down some narrow tape flush along all four edges.

I removed one liner paper at a time, and then burnished this gaaaaw-jus shade of glitter into the tape with my finger tips. This micro-fine glitter gives fantastic coverage, creating an elegant sparkly look that is smooth and velvety (is that possible?  Smooth & velvety at the same time?! *chuckle*)

A quick hand-written greeting, and I couldn't resist creating some "snowfall" with a white gel pen, and then mounting the finished panel to a silver metallic card base.

Yes, I oooohed and aaaaahed when I finished it! :)

Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom today!  Have you started your holiday cards yet?

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Supplies & Materials:

Bare Oak Tree by Memory Box
Versamark
Clear Embossing Powder
Adirondack Dye Ink Pad, Aqua
Be Creative Tape, 1/8"
Galvanized Silver Cardstock
Regal Red Glitter Ritz, Microfine
Copic Multiliner SP, 0.3 Black
Uni-ball White Gel Pen

Altered Camera Bag by Debbie Olson

 

Welcome to the Classroom! I recently replaced my camera and needed a larger bag for the new one and its lenses. When I saw the large Prima blank canvas camera bags, I chose one as the perfect new camera home; I was very pleased with the quality of the bag and the thickness of its padding when it arrived. As part of Ellen's Crafting with Your Kids week, this project is something that a teen might love. Think of the possibilities for expressing oneself! (The camera bag is also available in a smaller size too for cameras without multiple lenses.)

Altering canvas isn't quite as scary as it sounds. Keep in mind that if you really mess up, you can always gesso over it and start again. In fact, I can tell you all about that "starting again" part: more about that later. I had observed artist Traci Bautista demonstrate her art journaling at the Copic booth at last CHA and was amazed at how free and flowing her drawing motions were. In a positive way, she reminded me of how non-judgmental an elementary student doodling instead of taking notes in class can be--whatever happens on paper or in this case, on canvas, is good--better than notes, in any case! 

So when I stared at the blank bag, Copic Multiliner in hand, I was thinking "Traci. . ." Guess what? It's harder than it looks! I should have at least sketched on paper first to get an idea of where I was going. (Traci didn't do that. She just made cool art as naturally as breathing.) Of course, Traci has experience in freeform arts, and I--well, in spite of an art background, am one of those perfectionistic, uptight artisans. . . I need planning and structure. I want control of my medium. Here is my first try, with no underdrawing. I sketched freehand on the front of the camera bag with the Multiliner and then colored with my Copic markers.

 

Big Mistake. The flowers were all too close to the same height, and the type was atrocious--bad letterspacing, poor planning. . . On to Plan B, which I didn't have yet. 

I knew that I could gesso over the pocket and paint with acrylic paints. However, I really wanted to use my Copic markers to color my image, and Copics are not supposed to be used on top of acrylic paint. (If you do it, use them quickly, only over absolutely dry paint. Airbrushing is a much better idea; then you won't damage your marker tips.) 

So what was Plan B? I remembered having some of Claudine Helmuth's Sticky -Backed Canvas in my stash. Love that stuff! I used various widths of Copic Multiliners, an archival pigment ink pen compatible with Copic markers, to draw over my lightly penciled sketch lines. After the ink was completely dry, I used a gum eraser to remove my pencil lines and then made sure that ALL eraser particles were removed before I started to color.

 

Next, I started coloring with my Copic markers. Coloring canvas is different from coloring paper, but it is not hard to adjust if you know what to expect. Cloth is very absorbent and tends to wick the ink out of the lines. Rather than coloring around the perimeter and working your way into the shape, start in the center and work your way out, allowing time for that wicking action to spread the ink. It is important not to oversaturate the canvas since you will have a hard time getting rid of coloring overages. 

 

Here are the markers and pens that I used; the one that you can't see in the back is a Black Copic Multiliner SP BS (Brush Small). I really liked it, but you should be aware that it is more of a flexible brush tip--not a standard hard tip. You control the width of the line by hand pressure. It is perfect for doodling applications.

 

Here is my completed replacement panel. I stitched randomly around the edges before removing the paper backing from the sticky canvas. That made removing the backing a twenty-minute job, and I'm not sure I would recommend doing it that way again. (Aren't you glad that I made the mistakes so that you do have to? ;-}) I also sponged a bit of distress ink around the edges to make the panel tie in better with the creamier color of the natural canvas. Since I had filled in the rest of the panel with color, the edges were really the only place that stood out as noticeably white, but I certainly got more vibrant color when working on white as opposed to the natural canvas. The texture is a finer texture as well--a bit easier to color that the original front panel had been. Keep in mind that working on canvas is harder on your marker tips than working on paper, and uses more ink as well. Since replacement tips and ink refills (Copic Various Inks) are readily available, it was worth the extra wear on my marker tips, and the sticky backed canvas was a great surface since I was using fairly large Copic Multiliner point sizes.

 

I was happy with the pocket panel at this point, but I needed some cover for the rest of the bag. Please Note: rather than depending solely upon the sticky-backed canvas to stay put on something that would get quite a bit of wear and tear, I added some Helmar Gemstone Glue to the edges to make sure that the canvas would stay attached. This glue stays flexible and is washable too. I pulled out an assortment of masks and started airbrushing with my markers. Airbrushing is not recommended for cloth that will be washed since it does not soak into the cloth as far as it does when you color with your markers. I am not planning to wash this bag, so it should be fine.

Note: Not all of these masks are available in Ellen's store; in fact, the black masks have been discontinued, so if you want one of the patterns left in stock, you should get it. The Tim Holtz masks (such as the flourish) are still available, but the Heidi Swapp masks (Polka Dots) won't be available again that I'm aware of. The circles and stars were given to me by someone at CHA; they are manufactured by Crafter's Workshop. Also, the camera bag contains a long adjustable strap as well, but I haven't decorated it yet.  

 

 

My bag is an ongoing project. I think it needs some black ink on the airbrushed body of the bag as well, but I thought I might save that either for doodling when the mood strikes, or for autographs. I bet Marianne would draw on my bag if I asked nicely! 

Thanks for stopping by the Classroom today, and I hope that perhaps you will consider altering a blank canvas piece as well. If you are not feeling brave, hand the bag to your teen along with a multiliner!

New Nestability Dies

I am happy to tell you that many of the new dies are available now in our store. For the best selection be certain to shop early! Following is a list of the new dies and a direct link to each item:

• Nestability Dies - Circle, Pinked Large and Small (Please note that for a fit similar to what you are familiar with when layering the Scallops and Basic Circles it is just the opposite for the Pinked Circles. I hope to post a picture later today to show you what I mean being a picture is worth a thousand words and I know that you don't want to read through a thousand words and still not get what it is that I'm trying to say - LOL!)
• Nestability Dies - Labels One
• Nestability Dies - Labels Two
• Nestability Dies - Labels, Small (The large are not here and I'm not certain when the expected ship date is for these. Unfortunately the packaging on the small dies was done incorrectly. We are doing our best to "fix" the problem by putting homemade labels on the sets. The packaging is for the Large Labels and is a purple color, but these Small Labels will work the same - it is only the size that is different. Please be aware of this when they arrive so that you don't order the small ones when the large ones are available.)
• Nestability Dies - Rectangles, Curved Mega
• Nested Bird, Butterfly and Flower
• Border Dies Large - Daisy, Rose, Wisteria, and Illumination
• Border Dies Small - Daisy, Rose, Deckle and Scallop
• Other Dies - Cupcakes, Decorative Frames, Sunflower Garden, Sunflower Set One and Sunflower Set Two

We also have brought in additional Magnetic Storage Folders to help you keep your dies organized and together. You can see this post for pictures showing how these folders work.

We will do our best to get your orders out to you in a timely fashion. We have tried our best to list all sizes with each item and are happy to answer any questions you may have. We thank you so much for your support!

I had started making this card last week when all of a sudden the dies arrived, so I dropped this card and set to work to make certain we notified those who had requested to be at the top of our list and put as much information as possible with each item in our store. We apologize for the few emails that did bounce. If you are reading this and you did not receive your email we are sorry - I think that we may need updated email addresses for some of you, or can you imagine - perhaps we were labeled spam! OH NO! - LOL!

Now, back to the card. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month I wanted to create this card to remind all of you that you need to make certain that you follow a monthly breast exam regimen as well as head in for that very important screening.

 

Unfortunately I do have a recipient in mind for this card - I hope that it gives her just a little added strength to continue to fight her battle with breast cancer. The sentiment is one that is appropriate for all types of cancer. I love the simplicity of the font. I simply stamped one of Kim's Silhouette flowers in Adirondack Juniper pigment ink on to the plain pink Urban Prairie paper. I then mounted this on to two other pink patterns from this paper set. A little sewing was added for texture and to define the title. Quick, easy and simply elegant - my favorite cardmaking style.

Thank you for stopping by today and I hope and pray that if you need some words of encouragement to help you make it through another day, that this card can help give you a lift as well. Big hugs - Ellen

Magnetic Die Storage

You can find the Magnetic Die Storage books here at this link. These books will work beautifully with all your metal low-profile dies made by Impression Obsession, Lifestyle Crafts, Memory Box, My Favorite Things, Poppystamps, Savvy and Sizzix Framelits.

Thus far all of our posts have been technique driven, but one of the things that I appreciate so much is seeing how it is that others figure out storage solutions. As well I want to be able to share the different tools that I have discovered through my years of crafting and share the reason behind my choice in tools. So today I am going to begin by sharing my first "Storage and Organization" post.

I don't know about you, but it absolutely drives me crazy when I can't find the tools I need, or have to flip through pages and pages before I arriving at what I was looking for. Frankly it is pretty funny but sometimes in my search I get sidetracked and then I have to start all over again - arrgh!

In the early days when I first received my Nestability prototypes I discovered a way to keep my dies organized that I thought would work well. You can see the pictures of my first solution here. It is a fairly reasonable solution, but I found that I was spending so much time flipping through this album, with the dies sliding out of the pockets as I would do so, that I just wasn't happy with this solution.

At Summer CHA I was browsing for a solution to this problem and discovered these beauties made by Lifestyle Crafts/Quickutz.

 

This is an 8"x10" magnetic storage book. I never like to assume that things will work well and so I started out by trying one with the Nestabilities. Well, needless to say I was sold!

There is a slightly raised inner edge and a fold-over magnetic flap that keeps your "book" firmly closed. The snap to the magnet is wonderful, easy enough to pull the die away and yet firm enough to keep the dies in place.

 

As you can see I have been able to put all my circles in to one folder! I'm not certain what I'm going to do now that we have the pinked circles to add to this collection - LOL! For now I just put them in a folder with other new dies that I am trying so hard to avoid using because no one can purchase them and it is driving you all crazy, but they are worth having to come up with an alternate plan Ü

 

I then proceeded to make labels for each folder indicating which dies were inside. It is so thrilling to just reach into the cupboard and pull out the set I need to use. If I were just a tad more organized I would alphabetize them, but I'm not quite that anal (at least at this moment Ü) In hindsight I wish I would have placed the writing a little lower on the label so that I wouldn't have a rounded corner, but at least they are labelled, right!?!

Being it is difficult to read my labels I will share the different categories I have used so far:

• Circles (holds all Circles)
• Ovals (holds both Petite and Regular)
• Rectangles
• Long Rectangles
• Squares
• Hearts, Stars, Paisleys
• Tags
• Labels (new)
• Hardware, Alphabet
• Bird, Flower, Butterfly, Pinked Circles (new)
• Flowers, Leaves

 

As you can see I'm a very basic gal - black and white with a little wood, chrome and glass. I wish that they would make all tools and toys in black, then everything would coordinate. But no - they have to make pink, and blue, and lime, and raspberry, and... LOL! OK, I'll stop now before you think that I'm obsessive-compulsive Ü

So that's it for today ladies (and gentlemen if there are any of you out there reading my blog you need to chime in, it appears that it's mostly just us girls Ü). Please let me know if you find these interesting or dull. If I'm boring you with this information that is the last thing I want to do, being your time is precious! If you like this type of post then I will continue on of course. I can hardly wait to share my IKEA drawers - LOL!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!